that time his father takes only unofficial interest in his welfare.
Once past the first perilous "five days," an Athenian baby has
no grounds to complain of his treatment. Great pains are taken
to keep him warm and well nourished. A wealthy family will go to
some trouble to get him a skilful nurse, those from Sparta being
in special demand, as knowing the best how to rear healthy infants.
He has all manner of toys, and Aristotle the philosopher commends
their frequent donation; otherwise, he says, children will be
always "breaking things in the house." Babies have rattles. As
they grow older they have dolls of painted clay or wax, sometimes
with movable hands and feet, and also toy dishes, tables, wagons,
and animals. Lively boys have whipping toys, balls, hoops, and
swings. There is no lack of pet dogs, nor of all sorts of games on
the blind man's bluff and "tag" order.[*] Athenian children are,
as a class, very active and noisy. Plato speaks feelingly of their
perpetual "roaring." As they grow larger, they begin to escape
more and more from the narrow quarters of the courts of the house,
and play in the streets.

[*]It is not always easy to get the exact details of such ancient
games, for the "rules" have seldom come down to us; but generally
speaking, the games of Greek children seem extremely like those of
the twentieth century.


48. Playing in the Streets.--Narrow, dirty, and dusty as the
streets seem, children, even of good families, are allowed to play
in them. After a rain one can see boys floating toy boats of
leather in every mud puddle, or industriously making mud pies. In
warm weather the favorite if cruel sport is to catch a beetle, tie